Communities living on the coast of Chile are vulnerable to damage by earthquakes and tsunamis – and during one natural disaster in 2010, over 11,000 buildings were destroyed. Though usual reconstruction programs and policies would have residents moved inland to less vulnerable areas, the identity and livelihood of these communities is reliant upon access to the sea. Rebuilding high-quality and resilient housing along the coast, then, is essential to supporting housing tenure as well as the development of coastal culture, a national tradition in Chile.
Though participatory planning processes and community workshops, reconstruction authorities planned to build stilt houses, which would allow people to remain by the coast and continue their livelihoods. This required partnerships between a variety of actors across scales, as the local and regional governments provided technical support, project coordination, and funding.
Source:
World Habitat. (2016) Resilient Social Housing. World Habitat Award Winners: Finalist 2016.